Rock-cut halls
Inside the mountain.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Soghomon Matevosyan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Soghomon Matevosyan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Soghomon Matevosyan — CC BY-SA 4.0
A medieval monastery partly carved into the rock of the mountain, at the end of the narrow Azat valley between towering cliffs, listed by UNESCO with the valley as a World Heritage Site and counted among the finest achievements of thirteenth-century Armenian architecture. The site began in the fourth century around a spring in a cave, while the main church was built of stone in 1215; behind it are halls and small chapels carved entirely inside the mountain, with columns, domes and ornament cut into the living rock, lit by a shaft of light from an opening in the roof. The rock-cut halls are famous for their remarkable acoustics, and visitors or small choirs often sing there, filling the space with sound. Finely carved Armenian cross-stones stand on and around the monastery's walls, and outside are a stream, trees and stalls selling local sweets. Entry is free; the monastery is an active place of worship, so modest dress and quiet in the halls are expected. It is usually combined with nearby Garni Temple on a half-day trip from Yerevan.
Inside the mountain.
Visitors' singing.
Fine carving.
Upper Azat Valley, Kotayk Province, about 40 km east of Yerevan
About ten kilometres; they are usually combined on a half-day trip from Yerevan.